This is a place for any extant garments in private collections from about 1941 back. There is no beginning date. The only rule is that it can't be currently in a museum and must be before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I mostly post items I've seen on ebay, etsy, or other auction sites so we will continue to have a record of them for research purposes. If you have antique clothing in your collection, please, email me pictures of them and I will gladly add them to this site.

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Edwardian Evening Dress

This gown dates to the height of the Edwardian era around 1912 and is fashioned of a high shine dark gray charmeause silk. The gown has a high collar trimmed in soutache, the collar is weakened with splitting, an easy replacement and well worth it as the gown is just about perfect otherwise. The top of the gown is trimmed in a hairpin lace with soutache cord rounds trimming the center of the lace with points having soutache cording and dropping rings at the side. The bottom high empire waist is trimmed in knots of soutache cording, the sleeves are uniquely ruched in criss cross fashion, points trimmed in raised knit covered bob buttons with the bottom sleeves having a Valenciennes angled finish. Soutache cording in Greek key style trims the skirting asymmetrically from the high empire waist to front bottom, again repeated on the rear skirting from side to the bottom of the train. The side front skirting is trimmed in the stitched round soutache appliques with side skirting in the same as well as the rear enclosure. Hook and string eyes enclose the rear, there are points where the hooks have missed and stabbed into the fabric, easily fixed with a neat stitching and I personally would add metal hooks to close. The interior bodice is fully boned and the gown has a built in inner polished cotton skirting that has seams finely finished in silk. Surprisingly there is no label found in the gown, measures 34 inches around the bust, 26 inches around the waist, 60 inches in front length, and 66 inches in its rear training length.

From Me:This is so lovely. I don't think it's 1912, but a bit earlier. I'm thinking 1908 or there abouts.